If it is said: If absolute Iman includes all that Allah and His Messenger
commanded, then, if some of the Iman diminishes, the sinners must be charged
with unbelief as the Kharjites claimed, or abide forever in Hell and be deprived
of Iman, as the Mu’tazilites claimed. The claims of the Kharijites and
the Mu’tazilites were more erroneous than the claims of the
Murji’ites. For there is a group among the Murji'ites who were
considered good and praiseworthy people. However, the Kharijites and the
Mu’tazilites were condemned by the consensus of the Orthodox Muslim
community. It is said: It should be known that the views of
Mu’tazilites and Kharijites, with which none of the Orthodox Muslims
agreed, implied that the people who committed major sins would abide forever in
Hell. This claim was one of the important innovations because the Companions
and Successors of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), their followers, and all religious Muslims
agreed that whoever has an atom's weight of Iman in his heart will not abide
forever in Hell. They also agreed that our Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) would be among
those who would intercede to seek Allah's permission for His intercession for
the major sinners from his community. Indeed, both Sahih Muslim and Sahih
Bukhari relate that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Every prophet is allowed one
answered prayer. As for me, I delayed my request in order to intercede for my
community on Judgment Day."

Shaikh al-Albani , asked concerning the book, "Dhahiratul-Irjaa fil-Fikr
al-Islami" of Safar al-Hawali, and in this book takfir is performed on
account of certain sins, replied:

"I gave my viewpoint on a matter about thirty or so years ago when I
used to be in the [Isamic] University (of Madinah) and I was asked in a
gathering about my opinion on Jamaa’at ut-Tabligh. So I said on that day,
‘They are the Sufis of this era’. And now it has occurred to me
that I should say about this Jamaa’ah who have emerged in the present
times and who have opposed the Salaf, I say here, in accordance with the
statement of al-Hafidh adh-Dhahabi: They have opposed the Salaf in much of the
issues of manhaj, and it is befitting that I label them the Khawarij of the era.
And this resembles their emergence at the current time – in which we read
their statements – because they, in reality, their words take the
direction and objective of that of the Khawarij in performing takfir of the one
who commits major sins. And perhaps I should say, this is either due to
ignorance on their behalf or due to devised plot!! And I say this in light of
[the statement of Allaah], "Let not the hatred of a people make you depart
from justice. Be just and fair and that is closer to taqaa". I do not know
whether they say that every major sin takes one outside the fold of Islaam!
However, they always revolve around certain major sins but remain silent or just
pass by other major sins! And for this reason I do not see that we should make
this label absolute, and that we should say, ‘They are Khawarj’,
except from certain aspects. And this is the justice that we have been ordered
to abide by…" [The Cassette:The Surooriyyah are the Khawarij of the
Era, end of the first side].

The Text

A person might say, "Why do you always talk about the Mu’tazilah,
the Jahmiyyah, the Zanadiqah (Heretics), the Ash’aris, the Khawarij and
the Murji’ah? And why do you always mention them whenever you mention the
issues of aqidah? Yet these sects have passed and their adherents are now under
the soil and as it as said: ‘Time has eaten and drunk over it’,
[hence] there is not real need for this?

We say – and with Allaah lies success -:

Yes, these sects existed in the past and their founders and adherents have
indeed passed away in the generations that have passed. However, their ideas and
beliefs themselves have not ceased to exist. Rather, their followers and those
affected by them are present in our very midst. Hence, their aqidah and their
ideas have transferred from generation to generation and there are those who
revive and give strength to such ideas [in subsequent generations].

As for the aqidah of the Mu’tazilah, then it still exists. In fact
is spread far and wide amongst many of those who attach themselves to Islaam.
And the Shi’ah, with all their variant groups – even the Zaidiyyah
– are upon the aqidah of I’tizal.

As for the Ash’aris then this is a sect that has a significant
presence amongst the main bulk of the Muslims today.